Baculoviruses are excellent candidates for species specific _____ application.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → Insecticidal
Baculoviruses attack insects and other arthropods, and are used as biological control agents. Each kind attacks only one or a few insect species, so they harm no plants, mammals, birds, fish or useful insects.
Option (1) Weedicide — Incorrect. A weedicide kills weeds, which are plants; baculoviruses do not attack plants.
Option (2) Insecticidal — Correct. Baculoviruses (genus Nucleopolyhedrovirus) attack insects and other arthropods. They have no negative effect on plants, mammals, birds, fish or non-target insects, so they are excellent candidates for species-specific, narrow spectrum insecticidal applications.
Option (3) General pest control — Incorrect. They act on particular insect species only, not on pests in general.
Option (4) Pesticide — Incorrect. ‘Pesticide’ covers chemicals against every kind of pest; baculoviruses are narrow-spectrum agents against insects.
NCERT Extract:
Microbes as Biocontrol Agents – …
